Cincinnati Zoo recently hosted me and my little family for our very first visit as Northern Kentucky dwellers. We had a most amazing time and saw some incredible things.
The elephants were amazing to see. They are incredible animals to watch and we walked up just as someone from the zoo was doing a demonstration. My kiddos watched and were amazed at how intelligent the elephant was (and also how much he loved frozen bananas).
Seeing the young giraffe was also fun. We opted out of the opportunity to feed the giraffes as the line was long and the heat was making the kiddos a bit restless. But we stood and watched for a bit and made sure to measure up to a newborn giraffe before moving on. I enjoyed how close we could stand to the animals as they gracefully moved around.
Oh, my goodness. You all. This moment of seeing the Sloth in the botanical gardens? It was heavenly. When we first saw him, he was all in a ball and was hiding his face. Only a few, short moments later, he turned his face toward us. If I hadn't been busy taking photos, I would have been squealing like my girls were. We all wished we could hold him. Instead, we enjoyed looking at him and then moved out of the way so others could see him, too.
This bright fella also got our Ooo's and Aaaa's. We saw him while we were looking at the sloth and took a walk over to get a closer look. His colors were absolutely stunning and I swear he knows it.
I'd like to file this under the heading "Proof that I was there, too". Make sure you get in a picture, mamas. Especially if you're the one taking the photos most of the time. ;)
The Komodo Dragon. This was our first time seeing one of these and it was intense. When we walked up to his habitat, he was in the back corner. Soon after, we saw him begin to flick his tongue and he then made his way from the back corner to right in front of my kiddos as he stared them down. Thank goodness for plexiglass or we would have been goners. ha!
Do you ever think gorillas and/or monkeys pose for pictures? I totally think they do and loved spending a while watching their behaviors. This is such a beautiful environment to visit. I'm so glad I taught my kiddos early on to stop and watch the animals instead of being quick to move on. When you stop, you see so many fun interactions and behaviors. It really is worth it to slow down.
Here are a few other favorites we saw.
And if you want a perfect picture of mom life, check out this one I snapped of the White Lion. This is pretty much how I feel every day since becoming a mom. LOL
There are opportunities for both big and little kids to learn new things around every corner. Like in the Aviary, there was a Migration Game kiddos could play to learn about migration in a hands-on way.
And my littlest safely made it to her nest. She thought this was so fun.
My 8 year old Peanut loves all the animals. In this habitat, she made friends with a turtle and I was not at all surprised. She really does have a way about her.
I have just a couple more photos to share of the hundreds I took. This zoo is absolutely amazing and I highly recommend a visit for any family. Whether you're local to Cincinnati, Ohio or making a special trip, I'm sure you're going to be so happy you visited.
I've always thought the zoo to be a beautiful place where we can learn about different animals and the places they come from. It opens my eyes to worlds I've never seen and I try to share that same experience with my children during our visit. I like to stop with them and read signs to learn more about the animals, their homes, and how they live.
And yes, we did meet Fiona. What would a visit to the Cincinnati Zoo be without stopping to say "Hi" to her? While we lived in Michigan, we watched videos posted to YouTube to follow her story from her birth to the way she was cared for as she grew so my kiddos already have an attachment to her and are totally "Team Fiona". They were lucky enough to have her come right up to the glass to greet them. What a fun memory!
She is the sweetest thing.
We are so grateful for our visit and look forward to visiting again soon!
~Amy
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